Ethiopia remains in much need of development aid, particularly in the areas of food security, health, and education. But donors need to hold true to their own policies to ensure that they don’t fund harmful projects, directly or indirectly.
As the London Olympics wind down, preparations are full speed ahead for the next Games — in Sochi, Russia, the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Yet while athletes and fans the world over are celebrating summer sport triumphs, few in Sochi are feeling the Olympic glow.
The World Bank's board of executive directors today agreed to fund transmission lines from southern Ethiopia to Kenya. The controversial Gibe III hydroelectric dam, which is expected to more than double Ethiopia's power generation when it comes into operation in 2014, is going to be a significant power source for the World Bank's project.
A federal appeals court this month upheld a Texas law that requires a woman seeking an abortion to undergo a sonogram, forces doctors to describe that sonogram in detail to her and then requires that she wait 24 hours before she can undergo the procedure.
As female activists in Tripoli push for equal rights, they get a surprise visit from the country’s highest-ranking men, including chairman of the National Transitional Council—who hedges on his controversial stance on polygamy.
Kimberley N., a senior manager of a non-profit organization, gave birth to a baby with a life-threatening illness. After years of stellar performance reviews, she received a scathing one immediately after returning from a short maternity leave. Her organization refused to let her reduce her schedule even slightly or to telecommute to make it easier to care for her infant. Her workplace turned so hostile that she felt she had to leave.
As people across the Middle East took to the streets demanding their rights this spring, they were joined by one group in Kuwait who have no rights at all. The stateless Bidun came together after Friday prayers in February and March demanding citizenship, official documents, education, health care and work. Security forces met them with tear gas, water cannons and sound bombs, detained dozens and held some for weeks.
This weekend, dad might peek over the hedge at the neighbors' Father's Day gifts. He'll probably see some nice stuff: a National Retail Federation survey found that Americans will spend on average $106 for Father's Day this year, with sporting goods, automotive accessories and electronics making popular gifts. But if dad wants to keep his spirits up, he'd better not peek over the hedge at other countries' paid paternity leave policies.
This week, Gallup released its annual survey on how the U.S. public feels about it. For the past 10 years, the figures have hovered around the same lines, with about 50 percent saying they believe abortion is morally wrong, and around 40 percent said they believe it to be morally acceptable. Older people and Republicans score higher than others on being “pro-life” and seeing abortion as “morally wrong.”
American moms will be getting generous gifts on Mother’s Day: the National Retail Federation estimates that in 2011 the average American will spend $141 on Mother’s Day gifts, with total spending of about $16.3 billion.
As the London Olympics wind down, preparations are full speed ahead for the next Games — in Sochi, Russia, the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Yet while athletes and fans the world over are celebrating summer sport triumphs, few in Sochi are feeling the Olympic glow.